Police near a Millner unit where Joshua Walsh was holding Monique Edmondson when he shot himself.

Northern Territory Police officers have told a coronial inquest in Darwin that an abduction and subsequent suicide last year was "the most dangerous possible scenario" and that their response was justified.

In August last year, 26-year-old Joshua Walsh kidnapped his ex-partner Monique Edmondson, 25, from a Darwin women's shelter at gunpoint.

The police Tactical Response Group located Walsh 45 hours later holed up at unit in the suburb of Millner, where he was holding Ms Edmondson.

Officers surrounded the unit and minutes later Walsh shot himself in the head.

Superintendent Chris Evans told the inquest police were dealing with an offender with a propensity for violence and the scenario was in the highest risk category.

Detective Senior Sergeant Shaun Gill, who headed up the Tactical Response Group on the night of the incident, told the inquest he had heard the distressing 000 call from the women's shelter and could hear screaming and shots being fired.

A recording of the emergency call to police from a woman at the shelter reception was played to Coroner Greg Cavanagh today.

She is heard crying, "Oh my God, he's got a gun", and five shots were fired before the phone went dead.

In her evidence today, the woman said Walsh pointed a gun in her face and she thought she was going to die.